| Show STAR EYES tho pathetic Path etlo story of un an indian boy the beautiful valley called by tho the indians and known to us as the west branch of tho susquehanna was the last foothold in pennsylvania eastok castoe tho the allegheny mountains that the indians abandoned long after the outposts of civilization CiVili LatiOn had advanced far up the valley the red nien men tarried by the graves of their ancestors they were loath to leave tho the clear waters of tho the river encased in the fruitful little valley that was herrit hemmed ned in by hills and moun mountains taing well they knew that the time was dra drawing wint near when hen inc orallo fate would compel them thein to turn their backs on their old homes and trudge towards tov ards the setting sun but they dreaded to tn mke kc the change the timo time caine caime however when the westward movement was almost imperative pera tive it was wa decided that the tribe should migrate to ali the headwaters of the stream fully fifty miles beyond tile the limit of white settlement but B ut a few friendly indians who were on the best of terms term with the whites hites nv N v refused to heed the command of the chiefs to move westward this bred vengeful ven reful feelings on the part of their kindred hin dred the advance line of civilization at this time was the mouth of lycoming coming Ly creek now within the limits of wil liam sport at the baso base of the mountain lived a young r friendly indian named heel foot who made a fair living by hunting and fib fishing liing assisted by the handiwork of if his young squaw who made handsome baskets that wore were sold to the settlers both fleet foot and his wille wife minna maqua sparkling water wore ware remarkably mar kably line fine types ty pa 3 of the lian of those days hut but they had a little papoose that was a wonder and a delight to all the whites in the sparse settlements even the fondest mothers admitted that lie was just tho the sweetest little thing they ever saw with the exception of their own children of course ile ho had great big lau laughing t icing hazol hazel eyes half rosy checks a nose that a sculptor would have adored and the cunn ingest little mouth lie ile was very appropriately named star eyes little star eyes vas was about two years old when the tribe migrated to the new location far up the river angry threats had been made against fleet foot because of his refusal to join them but he was happy and contented and dreaded eadd dr the thought of leaving her white friends one day shortly after the migration fleet foot was hunting in the mountains minna jaqua left her wigwam it a solid structure turc of logs logs which tile the whites had helped to build to go to a spring for water she had left star eyes play playing ing on the floor but when sho ehe returned in a few minutes the child lind had disappeared disappear eL she hastily looked about called hini him nud and then hurried out of the house to renew the search she had hardly passed the door when she stopped tinned pale and pressed her hands to her heart her keen native instinct detected str st stange moccasin tracks ou on the ground her mind comprehended ended it all as she sunk fainting to the ground star eyer had boen by his kindred in revenge for fleet foots refusal to join them that was evident there was a gr grit gra A commotion among almonr 1 the settlers sett lens alic they heard of tile the dastardly act bany of them were eager for immediate pur pursuit mit of the captors but fleet fool them by haying raying that the indians t surely kill hill the papoose if they found that they were followed and besides there would bo be danger of ambush by a largo large party of indians about ten days offer after this episode just before daylight in the morning I 1 fleet foot and were suddenly awakened by the voice of sur star eyes at tho door crying bitterly iu in r trice the child was in tho the arms of its his overjoyed parents but they were I 1 r prisca geato to find him tremblingly fec feeling lill their faces facca with his hi hands what was the matter ile ho always a la in english to star ryes eyes tant soo see true enough ho was totally although tho bi big lustrous eyes looked just as natural as on tho the flay day lie ho was abducted fleet foot understood it all tho tribe had wrecked wreaked their vengeance anco by blinding the innocent child and then stealthily re turned him tho the settlers sett lors were wild with rage when they heard of it somo some of th them in were eager for an expedition against the indians but cooler couns ii prevailed among tho settlers bottlers were a quaker family from philadelphia who hul had taken a special interest in fleet footh foitl little family part of tile the quaker fai family faintly nily including tho the mother won about to make a journey to the city to visit their friends and it w was a suggested that and her blind child should accompany them in order that the batters lat eyes eves might bo be exann examined ined by an oculist and ana treated if thoro there was any prospect of restoring the sight it was a tedious journey in those davs dava on horseback all tile the way to harrisburg and thence by primitive coch coach but it was accod tied and the little blind papoose wa taken to an eminent rit oculist examination showed Ii oved that the eyes had been blinded by holdin holding gr close to them with the lidi opened a very hot object probably cither a red hot iron or a super heated stone it was not the first case known of such indian atrocity the oculist did iii hh best to repair the vision but all lie he could accompli h was to restore just sufficient bight for tho the child to distinguish distin guich between light and shade lie ile could distinguish persons persona only by their voices voice ten years passed anti and the line of settlement reached further up tile the valley illey va tile the kind quaker family moved a dozen miles above to tho the mouth of pino creek and with three children in addition to tho the nearly blind boy determined to move westward with them it was for the indian even with the help of qua in basket making to earn a living for his little family there were white hunters in the woods now and game was getting comparatively scarce even after the removal to pine creek creck the in inclan alan was sorely pressed by poverty and lie ho soon determined though with great reluctance to join his tribe atthe at the hoach headwaters aters of the river nearly forty miles away it was a sad parting part inq with all tho the stoicism of her race could not repress her grief and tears trickled from the alic beautiful but nearly tight t 0 les orb of star eyes now a handsomely framed youth of fourt fourteen conyears years and thoro there were moist eyes too in the family and in the households of the other settlers it was in the autumn following the spring wilen when fleet foot joined his tribe rumors had been rife all summer that the indians were in ugly mood and that a raid down the riv rh er to sweep away the advanced settlements was imminent the consequences was that the settlers were fully armed and prepared to quickly muster all the men within a dozen miles along the river just at cayll daylight lit one morning the quakers cers family was awakened by a violent pounding on tile the door on opening it they were amazed at finding star eyes there in in most pitiable plight glit lie ile was weak and haggard his buckskin clothing was almost in shreds there were only remains of his moccasins and his feet nv N were v ere bleeding terribly ile he quickly told his story the indians were on the nv arbath warpath up the tam river after the war party started lie instantly took to tho w made a long detour in the mountains moun talus running at ins his best speed all the time and then struck the river below the a h anding redal redskins red skins ins ills his imperfect sight had caused his clo clothing thina to be torn to tatt eib erts by underbrush and his moccasins had worn out in that almost perpetual run day and night for forty miles lie he thought tho the indians would surely reach the settlement the following 43 night the alarm was quickly sounded along the yally A good fores force of brave men hurried up to meet tile the savages and to take a good doben ive po position but their services were not needed when the indians found that their approach had been heralded and that the bett bottlers lers were ready for thern them thu they abandon abandoned cd the raid and retreated star eyes byes remained with his quaker frienda fri unda about two weeks after tho events just noted 11 ho and to of the quaker children gattler hig nuts mits in the woods wood suddenly thoro there wits was a fit finall nall volley of rifle is shots lioti and poor star eyes foil fell dead in his hia tracks without word or groan tho the other children were unharmed this was the adf awful ill retribution visited upon the nearly sightless indian boy for saving bis white frields from froin slaughter within an hour after the dastardly act of assassination a dozen bravo bet tiers on the trail of the murderers five in number as indicated by their tracks the long strides shown by the moccasin tracks showed owed that the assassins were running 1 r and that they were nvere determined to make maho sure of cheape but tho pursuers wore swift runners too nerved by their gratitude to poor star eyes eye and by the horrible atrocity of the indians IDd iaus they were determined to avenge the crime at all hazards hazard ai evening approached tile the pursuers found that the trail was getting vrin they were goaring the culprits sundown tivi twilight light and the trail aill Nv warmer ariner As the tracks grew in diAl and when fully twenty milea of distance had bad been covered one of the mon men taw a glimmer of light in a little ic valley borne distance ahead it was wai ov evident ident that the findlan s belaev ing themselves now sale safe from pur pursuit buit were camping for the night A careful a patient wait of three hours under the gli glimmer ing IMP stars a cautious advance tile the simultaneous crack of a bozon careful ly aimed aligned rifles at close range ranga 11 bour L our of the sleeping indians indian never awoke tile the fifth one helplessly writhed in agony As the settlers sAt lers i blushed up to dispatch the wounded red sloin slin the light from the campfire camp fire fell full upon his face and they suddenly stopped a as if they had been riveted to th the C ground ro u n d it was fleet foot tho the father of star eyel the muzzle of a rifle was at his hia head bead and a fierer finger on the trigger ilia his eyes turned up evilly ho he recognized the settler raised ill his hand and faintly said ye yes but listen they knelt b bc side ido him to catch his words for he was evidently dying when mien tho the war party returned he said slowly and painfully they knew of course that star eyes had betrayed them they bound boun alue me ua and my three young children to stakes intending 1 to burn us all older indians indian with one or two chiefs urged that wo we know knew nothing about the act of star eyes in the end there was wag a compromise five warriors including myself were to go to the ole settlement and kill star eyes I 1 was obliged to accept the terms to save and my three little ones you know tile the rest and you were one of the murderers of your own boy excitedly exclaimed the settler that covered him with the rifle no came faintly from the dying indian tt 1 I might shoot myself but not star eyes there was no bullet in fleet foots rifle I 1 deceived them suddenly he raised his licad lead turned his already glassy eyes toward the twinkling stars pointed his finger upward and said there is star eyes bowl now do you see him lie ile lis ia beckoning to me I 1 must po go to himl then his licad head fell back his hand dropped lic he was with his boy philadelphia I 1 times |
